TD hits out at chaos for kids with added educational needs

'Children experienced academic, social and emotional regression and took weeks to settle back to school in September. We should not be in the position we are in now'- Pauline Tully TD

A local TD has claimed the possibility of schools closing a second time due to Covid-19, and the lack of certainty at how children with additional educational needs will be catered for in this scenario, is evidence of an absence of leadership.

“Never mind not having a plan B, it now seems that the Minister and her Department did not have a credible plan A,” blasted Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers Pauline Tully TD. The Cavan-Monaghan TD added: “The Minister had nine months to plan for and organise this. She should have spent this time in consultation with the stakeholders – the unions and the disability sector groups – to nail down a contingency plan if restrictions needed to be reintroduced. Instead, we had last minute ill-considered plans, which collapsed just as quickly.”

Last week Deputy Tully challenged the Minister on the matter in the Dáil where the Minister gave assurances that an agreement was in place that would see children with additional needs returning to school this week.

“Once again, however, the Ministers plans have unravelled almost as soon as this announcement was made. We are once again back to the chaos that ensued two weeks ago when the Minister tried to bounce teachers and 6th year students into returning to school, again with no consultation with the teachers or with students.

“The Minister seems to be trying to decide policy by press release rather than engage in proper dialogue. It is concerning that the same mistakes are being made once again and that press releases are substituting discussion and agreement.”

Stating that families with children with additional needs are now “deeply upset”, the local Dáil representative continued: “We all know how badly children with additional needs were affected last year with many of them receiving little or no support for the three months of school closure.

“Children experienced academic, social and emotional regression and took weeks to settle back to school in September. We should not be in the position we are in now.

“This should have been planned for, and consultations should have taken place with stakeholders, months ago.”